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Saturday, June 15, 2013

DIY Chalkboard Paint

Last week I did a little thrifting and got some frames. I was mainly looking for the large one because I've been meaning to try making a chalkboard for ages.

So I got this one for $8...

And I bought some non-sanded white dry grout at Home Depot for a little less than $5, and dug out the 400 grit extra fine sand paper I had lying around.

To make the chalkboard paint, all you do is mix the grout with acrylic paint (in the color of your choice) in a 1 cup of paint & 2 tbsp of grout ratio.

For this particular project, I just used 1/2 of paint and 1 tbsp of grout, and that was enough for 2 coats of paint.

NOTE: This is where I went wrong...sort of. I didn't prime the glass, which acrylic paint doesn't like to stay on. If you aren't careful and scratch it too hard with something rigid, the paint will come off. But since this is for decorative use and won't be handled very much, it'll be fine. For a more permanent solution, however, spray the surface with a glass friendly primer first, or just use store bought spray chalk paint that is glass friendly. :)

After you paint on a coat, let it dry for a day. Carefully sand it smooth with extra fine sandpaper.

Then you'll want to prime it by covering the surface with chalk and rubbing it in.